made a not great situation special

mrscatinthehat

Seussical
easy child went to visit her dad last week for a few days. This means she flew to Virginia. So last night she was to come home. She left Virginia from Dulles airport the way she was supposed to and arrived in Chicago. Then she was to fly to a closer airport. Before husband and I left home I checked on the web to see how things were going since the weather was getting awful. The flight wasn't listed on at Chicago or the airport she was coming in to. So I checked the airline. It listed things as fine. This bothered me a bit. So I started making phone calls. The airline said the flight was a go (after I finally got a human on the phone). I called the airport she was coming into they said nope no flight coming in. So I called Chicago. The told me to believe the airline. So we left home in atrocious weather to head to the airport. When we got to the Quad Cities we had a lot of time so we were going to a few stores. While at one we get a call from easy child telling me that her flight was cancelled. As I collected my head from the aisle where it landed I asked her if she had talked to anyone. Well of course not so while on the phone I told her to go talk to someone from the airline. The said they would get her on a flight this morning. I had to stop myself from freaking out while I was on the phone with easy child. I asked her to ask the person what they were going to do for her. They said she had to go to customer service. Ok so I told easy child to go there. She gets there and informs me that the line is sooooooo long. I told her stand in it. She starts to spout off to me (the typical teen thing coming out). I said I can't fix it from where I am she needs to wait like every other person and find out what they will do for her or if we need to go get her (looking outside at that time made my stomach drop at that idea). So easy child calls back and tells me that they will put her in the unaccompanied minor room and feed her etc and that she will be supervised for the evening if she stays. I had already gotten on the highway with husband and I told her that I would call her back in a few to let her know what she was going to do. I called her biodad and asked him what he thought. He said that as long as she was in the one area he didn't love the idea but that he would understand us not driving to Chicago in the nasty. So I called easy child back and told her she was staying.

Now, of course husband and I look at each other and go ok what do we do? Do we drive home in this **** or what? So we decided to go to a hotel (we happen to have a certificate for a free night). We checked in and then decided to go get new pjs and some snacks. Then we went to dinner (have to eat) and a movie and went to the hotel and watched tv and slept until time to go back to the airport to get easy child. The hotel even had a nice breakfast this morning.

Wasn't something we had planned. We knew the dogs would be ok (just be a couple of messes) because they have auto feeders that were full and an auto waterer.

So we had a nice evening away where no one could get to us. Just enjoyed ourselves like I can't even remember doing for a long time. I didn't even panic about easy child. I called her while we were at dinner and got the response of "your not going to call me every hour are you". When I made that call she and one other girl were stranded and the other girl was 17 so I was confident that at least she wasn't alone.

husband told me we have to start cutting the cord some time and I almost decked him but other than that we had a great evening. So it was a blessing in disguise. We needed the rejuvination with ourselves. Wasn't the trip I originally was hoping for to do that but hey when handed lemons make lemonade right.

Beth
 

klmno

Active Member
Glad you enjoyed it, Beth! It sounds like you and husband needed that and wouldn't have planned it for yourselves. I bet it was a good experience for easy child, too!
 

Hound dog

Nana's are Beautiful
Good life lesson for difficult child.

And a surprise get away for parents.

Sounds like a win/win situation to me.

Glad you got the break for the night and everything turned out ok.

Hugs
 

timer lady

Queen of Hearts
Ohhhhhh, I'm so jealous. I would love to get away like that - so spontaneous & fun.

Enjoy the rest of your stay. :loveforever::beautifulthing::couple:
 

judi

Active Member
I actually am from the QC and currently live south of Peoria - it has been a nightmare of weather nonsense. Glad you chose not to drive to O'Hare which is a mess at best. And...as an added bonus you had a wonderful evening and night with husband. Can't ask for more than that.
 

Star*

call 911........call 911
Lemonade?

Sister - you made a lemon chiffon cake! BRAVO!!!!!

(i understand the part about cutting the cord - mine has gotten "the LOOK" before too after saying that)

Glad you got some time to recoup!

Hugs:redface:
 
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